In this study, ISTPP Senior Research Fellow, James Stoutenborough, and ISTPP Director, Arnold Vedlitz, study stakeholders’ attitudes about climate change and the influence of knowledge levels, information sources, and institutional settings on these attitudes. Understanding such influences matters given the vulnerability of coastal areas to the effects of climate change, such as sea level rise and hurricanes, and the role of stakeholders in shaping coastal management policies. Using data from in-depth interviews of stakeholders along the Gulf Coast in Florida, Texas, and Louisiana, the researchers analyze various influences on stakeholders’ views about the existence of climate change. They find that coastal stakeholders generally accept the reality of climate change. This is particularly true for stakeholders who are more knowledgeable about the effects of climate change on coastal areas. Other factors that influence stakeholders’ attitudes include the sources of information used to learn about climate change as well as norms related to the types of institutions in which the stakeholders work.
This study is based on research conducted by ISTPP under a cooperative agreement (R-83023601-0) with the Environmental Protection Agency. Here is the report for that project – Use of Science in Gulf of Mexico Decision Making Involving Climate Change.
James W. Stoutenborough and Arnold Vedlitz. 2015. “Knowledge, Information, and Views of Climate Change: An Examination of Coastal Stakeholders along the Gulf of Mexico.” Climate 3(4): 983–998. DOI: 10.3390/cli3040983.
